{"id":79832,"date":"2023-09-04T02:00:00","date_gmt":"2023-09-04T02:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.talogy.com\/?p=79832"},"modified":"2025-11-05T10:55:46","modified_gmt":"2025-11-05T10:55:46","slug":"what-are-microaggressions-and-how-do-they-impact-the-workplace","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/talogy.com\/en\/blog\/what-are-microaggressions-and-how-do-they-impact-the-workplace\/","title":{"rendered":"What are microaggressions and how do they impact the workplace?"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p>\n\u2018Microaggressions\u2019 is now a commonly used term in the world of DEI. However, it is sometimes misunderstood or even mocked as the word \u2018micro\u2019 is typically used to describe something incredibly small. And while that is true, the term actually speaks to a more pervasive and malignant issue, which can trickle through <a href=\"\/en\/blog\/the-5-ws-and-h-of-culture-add\/\">organizational cultures<\/a> unnoticed. What can be perceived as almost benign to some, can have a significant negative impact on others.\n<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">What are microaggressions?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>The term microaggression was first coined in 1974 by Chester Pierce, a prominent Harvard-trained psychiatrist. The term was used to help describe covert and more ambiguous acts of prejudice, something that he believed was becoming more commonplace in society. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>In recent years the term has had a significant growth in popularity. This probably reflects where we are in modern society, where overt racism is now seen as socially unacceptable. However, as many minorities can attest to, more subtle displays of prejudice still live on in both in culture and at work. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Microaggressions can be displayed physically using body language, verbally in how something is said or not said, and in action by what is done or not done. And they are typically displayed subconsciously. In fact, the insidious nature of microaggressions mean that a victim may be made to feel they are part of an outgroup, but can find it hard to even verbalize what exactly was done. Some specific examples of microaggressions include: <\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Talking over someone and not listening to what they have to say<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Persistently saying someone\u2019s name incorrectly and not attempting to address it<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Sharing views that may reflect stereotypes<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Making assumptions about someone\u2019s abilities based on stereotypes<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">What challenges do microaggressions create?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>In my view despite the term being useful, the word \u2018aggression\u2019 may not reflect the intentions of the perpetuator and may also stop them from accepting that they have ever been responsible for doing it. The reality is we may have all been a perpetuator of a microaggression in some way, as the actual act is subtle and typically well-intentioned. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Read more: <\/strong><a href=\"\/en\/blog\/6-core-behaviors-to-help-us-embrace-diversity\/\"><strong>6 core behaviors to help us embrace diversity<\/strong><\/a> <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The challenge is that microaggressions are typically perpetuated in both a mundane and automatic manner, with the individual often completely unaware\u00a0 of how they have behaved and its impact. This makes it harder to see when it happens and how to address it. To compound the problem, individuals may also react negatively to the very term microaggression. Therefore, trying to address it requires nuance and a general shift in how we behave.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">How to address microaggressions in the workplace<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>The good news is that the fundamentals of mitigating microaggressions at work just come down to being respectful of others and being willing to acknowledge how your actions can make others feel. To address this properly, more structural changes and action by leadership need to take place. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>However, there are some critical behaviors that everyone in an organization can adopt to help address this issue. The first and most fundamental step being acceptance and appreciation that this is a genuine issue that needs to be addressed. We need to become conscious and aware to then be able to tackle the issue. If leadership <a href=\"\/en\/blog\/benefits-of-effective-communication-in-the-workplace\/\">communicates<\/a> and truly believes in this, the likelihood of success will only increase. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Below are three useful behaviors for all employees to practice:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Develop empathy:<\/strong> If you <a href=\"\/en\/blog\/how-leaders-can-foster-an-inclusive-culture-in-a-hybrid-workplace\/\">understand someone\u2019s point of view<\/a>, you are more likely to become aware of what will and won\u2019t affect someone negatively.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Increase learning orientation<\/strong>: If you are willing to learn more about other people, you will be more likely to understand where they are coming from and what it is like to experience the world from their shoes.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Be open-minded<\/strong>: Recognize that assumptions \u2013 despite being useful at times \u2013 can stop us from seeing the world more objectively. Being willing to not make too many assumptions can make a big difference.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-media-text alignwide is-vertically-aligned-center is-stacked-on-mobile\" style=\"padding-top:var(--wp--preset--spacing--20);padding-bottom:var(--wp--preset--spacing--20);grid-template-columns:40% auto\"><figure class=\"wp-block-media-text__media\"><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"640\" height=\"828\" src=\"http:\/\/talogy.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/12\/cta-whitepaper-cover-building-better-organizations-through-inclusive-leadership.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-4393 size-full\" srcset=\"https:\/\/talogy.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/12\/cta-whitepaper-cover-building-better-organizations-through-inclusive-leadership.jpg 640w, https:\/\/talogy.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/12\/cta-whitepaper-cover-building-better-organizations-through-inclusive-leadership-232x300.jpg 232w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 640px) 100vw, 640px\" \/><\/figure><div class=\"wp-block-media-text__content\">\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Building better organizations through inclusive leadership<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>The topic of Diversity and Inclusion (D&amp;I) is an area of emphasis for many organizations right now. Organizations that have been successful at creating sustainable change in D&amp;I have had strong commitment, and action, among their leadership. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>In this whitepaper, you will learn about the role that leaders play in creating an inclusive culture, one that strives to create allies, or champions for diversity, as well as the leadership competencies and characteristics that contribute to inclusive behavior and climate.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-buttons is-layout-flex wp-block-buttons-is-layout-flex\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-button\"><a class=\"wp-block-button__link wp-element-button\" href=\"https:\/\/info.talogy.com\/en-us\/building-better-organizations-through-inclusive-leadership\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Download now<\/a><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div><\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>\u2018Microaggressions\u2019 is now a commonly used term in the world of DEI. However, it is sometimes misunderstood or even mocked as the word \u2018micro\u2019 is typically used to describe something incredibly small. And while that is true, the term actually speaks to a more pervasive and malignant issue, which can trickle through organizational cultures unnoticed. [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":18,"featured_media":104474,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"custom_post_author_id":"103358","footnotes":""},"categories":[179],"tags":[],"tax_topic":[175,167,161],"tax_industry":[157,156,155,154,153,152,151,150,149,148],"class_list":["post-79832","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-blog","tax_topic-diversity-equity-inclusion","tax_topic-personality","tax_topic-values-culture-fit","tax_industry-automotive","tax_industry-energy-and-utility","tax_industry-federal-government","tax_industry-finance-and-insurance","tax_industry-healthcare","tax_industry-manufacturing","tax_industry-professional-services","tax_industry-public-sector","tax_industry-retail","tax_industry-state-and-local-government"],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v27.2 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/product\/yoast-seo-wordpress\/ -->\n<title>What are microaggressions and how do they impact the workplace? | Talogy<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Navigate workplace challenges: Understand, identify, and address microaggressions to foster inclusivity, respect, and collaboration.\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"noindex, follow\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"What are microaggressions and how do they impact the workplace? | Talogy\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"Navigate workplace challenges: Understand, identify, and address microaggressions to foster inclusivity, respect, and collaboration.\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/talogy.com\/en\/blog\/what-are-microaggressions-and-how-do-they-impact-the-workplace\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"Talogy\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2023-09-04T02:00:00+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:modified_time\" content=\"2025-11-05T10:55:46+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"https:\/\/talogy.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/04\/hero-v4-teal-background-woman-gold-glasses.jpg\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:width\" content=\"770\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:height\" content=\"578\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:type\" content=\"image\/jpeg\" \/>\n<meta name=\"author\" content=\"Sophie Thresher\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<!-- \/ Yoast SEO plugin. -->","yoast_head_json":{"title":"What are microaggressions and how do they impact the workplace? 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